MMRRC purchased a new ROV under the MaREI Science Foundation Ireland infrastructure grant

The Mobile & Marine Robotics Research Centre at the University of Limerick purchased a new ROV, and associated launch and recovery systems, under a MaREI Science Foundation Ireland infrastructure grant.

The Sub-Atlantic Comanche ROV

Mobile & Marine Robotics Research Centre (MMRRC), operating at the University of Limerick (UL), has purchased a new Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), and associated launch and recovery systems, under a MaREI Science Foundation Ireland infrastructure grant (15/RI/3232). The Sub-Atlantic Comanche 2000 m Observation Class ROV will be supplied in March 2017 by Forum Energy Technologies Inc., who won a tender to supply UL with an ROV to support our subsea inspection and intervention work on renewable energy infrastructure. The Comanche, with its high thrust to drag ration, is capable of operating in the high energy environment, typical to offshore renewable industry conditions, and unsuitable for humans to operate in.

Dan Toal, Director of the MMRRC and Vice Director of MaREI, said “To aid research, development and roll out marine renewable energy, it is vital that we can operate in the high energy wave, wind and tidal regimes of target sites and understand the environment from an operational capability. Wind, waves and currents can make it an extremely difficult environment for humans to operate in, so it is necessary for us to use advanced subsea robotic systems and vehicles which are capable of operating in the harshest of underwater conditions.

“Forum’s Sub-Atlantic Comanche ROV is designed and proven to work effectively in strong wind and current regimes. Coupled together with University of Limerick’s OceanRINGS autopilot systems we believe a blended auto-control approach can push the capabilities of current underwater platforms, reducing the dependence on the few in number most experienced pilots, extending operational weather windows and allowing us to get to infrastructure that otherwise we would have no way of inspecting, repairing and maintaining. This vehicle is based on years of research and development and will help us in our work to improve renewable technologies and learn how to make effective use of our oceans resources.”

The fully equipped ROV will be housed at the Limerick Docks where we will do our experiments, tests and demonstrations. It will also be mobilised on vessels at other ports of Ireland, for offshore work at wind, tidal and wave energy test sites and farms.